HOW TO: Use Older Roaming User Profiles with Windows Server 2003 (325853)

SUMMARY

This step-by-step article describes how to use roaming user profiles from the following versions of Windows with Windows Server 2003:

• Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
• Microsoft Windows 98
• Microsoft Windows 95

Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98, and Windows 95 clients support the use of roaming user profiles. However, they behave differently from the user profiles that are found in the following versions of Windows:

• Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
• Microsoft Windows 2000
• Microsoft Windows XP

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Enable User Profiles on a Local Computer

1. On your computer that is running Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98, or Windows 95, open Control Panel.
2. Double-click Passwords, and then click the User Profiles tab.
3. Click Users can customize their preferences and desktop settings.
4. Under User profile settings, click the options that you want to use, and then click OK.
5. Restart your computer.
6. In Control Panel, double-click Network, and then click Client for Microsoft Networks in the Primary Network Logon box.
   
   NOTE: If the Client for Microsoft Networks is not listed, you must install it and then restart your computer before you can complete this step.
7. Click Client for Microsoft Networks in the list of installed network components, and then click Properties.
8. Click Log on to Windows NT domain, type the Windows Server 2003 domain name, and then click OK.
9. Restart the computer.

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Set Up User Profiles on a Windows Server 2003-Based Computer

1. Create a folder on the network that will be used as the user's profile folder.
   
   NOTE:
   • The Documents and Settings folder on the Windows Server 2003-based computer is used only for Windows Server 2003 profiles. You must create the folder that will be used as the user's home folder.
   • Create this folder on an NTFS file system volume.
2. Assign the appropriate NTFS permissions to the folder that you created.
3. Share the folder, and then assign appropriate share permissions.
4. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.
5. Click the domain, and then double-click Users.
6. Right-click the user object that you want, and then click Properties.
7. Click the Profile tab, and then type the UNC path of the shared folder that you created in the Profile path box. For example, type \\server\share\username.

When the user logs off, Windows automatically puts an updated copy of the user profile in the user's assigned home folder on the Windows Server 2003 network in the following path: The following files and folders are created in the user's profile path folder: NOTE:

• Because of the differences in the profiles between each operating system, store the roaming user profile for each operating system in its own location. Sharing profiles between operating systems that are based on Windows NT technology and older versions of Windows is not supported. This may cause damage to your policies and unpredictable results.
• Use caution when you are using roaming user profiles with users who log on to multiple computers simultaneously. Some profile settings may not be saved, depending on which computer the user logs off last.

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